While the number of cyberattacks targeting businesses and individuals has exploded in France since the start of the pandemic, Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday January 10 that he wanted to further arm the country with his cyber patrollers.
During his visit to security in Nice, the Head of State thus indicated that 1,500 specialists in the fight against cybercrime (sometimes reservists) will come to reinforce the current effects.
Cyber-patrollers who will be assigned to both the gendarmerie, the police and the intelligence services.
One billion euros will be devoted to this plan aimed at strengthening France’s position on this “constantly evolving” question, affirms the Elysee. In this context, the State plans to set up a training school to be created within the Ministry of the Interior.
To strengthen our cybersecurity, @EmmanuelMacron announced the creation of 1,500 additional cyber patrollers and a cyber training school for our security forces. A massive technological and human investment plan will be committed to serve this objective. pic.twitter.com/jwOg1uvXHO
– Gerald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) January 10, 2022
If the framework of the cyber-patrollers’ missions have yet to be specified. However, the latter are presented as reinforcements to the current cyber-gendarmes, cyber-police and cyber-agents present in the various layers of intelligence and authorities.
Last year, the national gendarmerie notably restructured its different groups around the ComCyberGend pole and it demonstrates its presence on different fronts, whether to trace the networks of criminals linked to child pornography, to dismember pirate networks. organized around cyber attacks (phishing, ransomware, etc.), uncovering money laundering through cryptocurrency, dark web surveillance or even helping field investigators to exploit digital clues on stages of crime.
Missions also managed by the national police in certain areas and according to their field of competence. Finally, the DGSI announced in July 2021 that it was looking for new profiles to create new positions in the field of counter-espionage.
An emergency number to notify the authorities
At the same time as this announcement linked to cyber patrollers, Emmanuel Macron also “announced the establishment of a digital equivalent of” call 17 “so that each citizen can report a cyberattack live and be immediately put in touch with a specialized operator ”.
The 1,500 positions announced by the Elysee Palace should notably count among the people who will take charge of the cases which will be transmitted by individuals and companies via this emergency number.
In 2021, cyber attacks targeting French companies increased by 13% compared to the previous year, according to a report by cybersecurity company Orange Cyberdéfense published in early December. But many attacks go unrecorded by the state because they go unreported by the victims.